THE ® AN INSIDE VIEW OF THE WORLD

Popular Landmark Continues to Inspire Stepping into the world­famous Mapparium®—the three­story Boston landmark globe at The Library®—is an unforgettable experience. From the bridge of this giant stained­glass sphere, visitors explore the Earth at its center, surrounded by continents and oceans. Refurbished in 2015, the Mapparium "journey" now includes updated lighting and programming. New technology has combined with painstaking craftsmanship to create a one­of­a­kind experience.

More accurate than most flat­map representations, this view offers surprises: the size of some continents, the proximity of others. As a review of the Mapparium's 1935 unveiling described it, the Mapparium shows "the Earth as a simple and glowing idea."

In 1930 Boston architect Chester Lindsay Churchill was commissioned to design the new Publishing Society headquarters. As part of the design, Churchill suggested including a unique element never before seen: a three­story spherical “globe room” that would allow visitors to view a map of the world from inside. The world map was to be created using stained glass. The Mapparium required nearly three years to build and cost about $52,000—a substantial sum, considering it was completed in the midst of America's Great Depression.

The vividly colored panels bear a striking resem blance to glass that European masters ​ perfected for fourteenth­century cathedrals. Churchill purchased the panels from the Hope Glass Company in England and shipped them to the Rambusch Company in . Using a 1934 Rand McNally world map, Rambusch artists traced map sections onto 114 half­inch­thick glass panels, which were then sprayed with a powdered glass mixture. The panels were fired in a kiln to fuse the color to the glass. Each color required separate firings at temperatures ranging from 1,100 to 1,350 degrees Fahrenheit. To help maintain their exact curve and shape, the panels were held in special cradles. It took eight months to paint and fire all 608 panels.

Construction on the Mapparium began in April 1934. By January 1935, the glass panels were being produced at a rate of about 50 per week. Churchill rushed to complete the entire project for a June 1, 1935 deadline. Once completed, the panels were fitted into the spherical bronze framework that holds the entire structure together. Finally, it was illuminated with 300 electric light bulbs installed outside the globe.

The result: An extraordinary piece of art and architecture that was—and still is—the only one of its kind.

Churchill called his new room the Mapparium, using a combination of Latin words: mappa ​ ​ ​ ("map") and arium ("a place for"). It was an immediate and overwhelming success. Within the ​ ​ 1 of 2

first four months, more than 50,000 people came to view this amazing structure. Since then, over 10,000,000 people from around the world have stepped across the glass bridge.

It took almost 70 years before the lighting was updated. In 2002, 206 LED light fixtures were installed and programmed to coincide with an audio presentation. The latest renovation in the Mapparium occurred in the autumn of 2015, which provided the space with almost three times the previous lighting capability. Updated behind­the­scenes technology added even more ​ creative, hands­on opportunities for the design, production, and implementation of new ​ programming in this space.

Mapparium Photography Photography and videography are not allowed inside the Mapparium, unless approved and coordinated in advance. Requests for photo and film shoots must be submitted to our media contact at least two weeks prior to the requested shoot date. Once approved, we require a location release, as well as proof of liability insurance and Workers Compensation coverage.

For access to our password­protected image gallery, please contact us with your name and affiliated organization. Below is a series of Mapparium images approved for publication and available as a high­ or low­resolution download. Permissions will be granted based on a single, one­time usage.

Media Contact: Taryn McNichol 617­450­7106 [email protected] mbelibrary.org/press

Mapparium I Mapparium II Mapparium III Mapparium IV

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